Opera Scotland

Erszébet Komlóssy was a leading member of the Hungarian State Opera for most of her career.

She trained at the conservatoire in Budapest, then in 1955 joined the National Theatre at Szeged for three seasons. Her period at the Hungarian State Opera in Budapest lasted from 1958 to 1974. Her range included the staple roles for dramatic mezzo, including Verdi (Azucena, Amneris) and French works (Carmen, Dalila). She also sang in a number of Hungarian operas, including those of Liszt's contemporary, Erkel. She created the role of the Groom's Mother in Vérnász - Blood Wedding (Szokolay 1964).

She worked outside Hungary from time to time, with appearances in Moscow, Berlin, Cologne, Vienna and Rome. Her only visit to Covent Garden was as Azucena in the 1970 revival of the Visconti production of Il trovatore, which also featured Leontyne Price as Leonora. She appeared at the 1973 Edinburgh Festival, when the Hungarian State Opera performed Blood Wedding.

There are several recordings. For Hungaroton she sang her original role in the cast recording of Blood Wedding as well as Queen Gertrude in Erkel's Bánk Bán. She also visited London to record the Dvořák Requiem with the LSO under Hungarian-born István Kertész (with whom she had worked in Cologne).